Traveling with disabilities is never easy, and each one requires different accommodations and ways to approach travel to make it more accessible for you. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, here are some tips that might make travel a bit easier.
Carry Spares
If you have a hearing aid, we highly recommend bringing extra batteries, tubings, and earmolds with you abroad: whatever you might need and don’t want to find yourself without.
Let People Know in Advance
Help people help you by letting your flight, bus, train, tour, and hotel companies know ahead of time that you are deaf. That way, they will have plenty of time to arrange accommodations that will help you.
Elbow Your Way to the Front
If you take a tour or something similar, don’t hesitate to push your way to the front of the crowd so you can have an unobstructed view of the guide.
Look for Discounts
Traveling is super expensive and every discount makes a difference toward making your trip more affordable. So don’t forget to check and ask if the places you visit offer discounts or maybe even freebies for deaf or disabled visitors. Just don’t forget to bring some kind of confirmation that you are, in fact, deaf and not just trying to take advantage.